{"id":286185,"date":"2025-10-08T09:36:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T09:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/286185\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T09:36:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T09:36:12","slug":"morning-report-border-farmers-irate-over-sewage-warning-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/286185\/","title":{"rendered":"Morning Report: Border Farmers Irate Over Sewage Warning Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The managers of a community garden in the sewage-plagued Tijuana River Valley are evicting over 200 farmers.<\/p>\n

The leader of the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County said she was concerned the agency could be held liable for endangering employees if they didn\u2019t close after the county placed pollution warning signs nearby at the behest of Supervisor Paloma Aguirre.<\/p>\n

Gardeners revolted. A petition against the garden closure has over 1,000 signatures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we want is to stay on the land and not to leave until the county finds solutions and an organization who wants to manage the land,\u201d said Nanzi Muro, a community gardener who is helping to organize gardeners\u2019 response to the evictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Aguirre does not believe the warning signs she urged county staff to erect around the Tijuana River Valley had anything to do with the garden\u2019s closure. But she said she is determined to help farmers stay in business.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read the full story.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Gloria Looks to Harbor Police for Cop Shortage\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Mayor Todd Gloria at Politifest on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. \/ Vito di Stefano for Voice of San Diego<\/p>\n

Is Mayor Todd Gloria officially LAFCO-pilled?\u00a0<\/p>\n

At a Politifest panel this weekend, Gloria floated the idea of the San Diego Police Department absorbing the Harbor Police in an attempt to close the city\u2019s 200 officer shortfall. The Harbor Police has about 140 officers who operate in the areas surrounding the San Diego Bay, which includes five cities as well as the San Diego Airport.<\/p>\n

A memo to Port of San Diego staff says the agency was blindsided by this proposal and won\u2019t be entertaining it.<\/p>\n

But it probably shouldn\u2019t be surprising. For months now, the Port has been in the crosshairs of the Local Agency Formation Commission, which has the power to bring agencies into and out of existence and is currently reviewing the Port\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this time of real challenges financially, we should be asking ourselves fundamental questions about the way we\u2019ve chosen to organize ourselves and wonder if we can be more efficient,\u201d Gloria said.<\/p>\n

Read more here.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

More From Politifest: No One Wants the City in Charge of Electricity\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Debaters on lowering the cost of electricity at Politifest 2025\u2019s Solutions Showdown didn\u2019t agree on much.<\/p>\n

At times the panelists interrupted each other or seethed behind clenched teeth in one of the day\u2019s spiciest events. But reps promoting the agenda of San Diego\u2019s privately-owned utility and public power could agree on one thing: They don\u2019t trust the city of San Diego to run a power company.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you actually trust the City Council of this city to take over the electric grid? \u2026 You can\u2019t drive on a goddamn city street without ruining your tires. You want them now to take over your electricity?\u201d said Jack McGrory, a former San Diego city manager who presented on behalf of San Diego Gas and Electric.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No, agreed Bill Powers, proponent of a community-owned \u201cno-profit\u201d utility. A government agency would have to buy the power lines and more from SDG&E. If SDG&E refused to sell them, the movement hopes the government would use eminent domain to take them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree with Jack that a municipal utility, a public electric utility, should not be a city department. I\u2019m sold on that. But there are numerous structures that can be used to firewall it from city council, from the mayor,\u201d Powers said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Powers and the group Public Power San Diego hope to qualify a ballot measure (and then win the vote for it) that would force the city to act on municipalizing the electricity grid.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

San Diego\u2019s <\/strong>New Chief Financial Officer<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is tapping Rolando Charvel to serve as the city\u2019s next chief financial officer. Charvel has been with the city for 26 years and most recently was the director of finance and city comptroller.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If the City Council confirms his appointment this month, he\u2019d replace Matt Vespi, who is leaving the city in November to work at the Port of San Diego as the chief administrative officer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRolando has demonstrated exceptional financial stewardship, a deep commitment to public service, and the strategic leadership we need to guide San Diego\u2019s fiscal future,\u201d Mayor Gloria said in a statement. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Judge Denies Grecia Figueroa\u2019s Restraining Order Request<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Tuesday, a judge denied Grecia Figueroa\u2019s request to have a court protect <\/a>her from Nathan Fletcher\u2019s wife, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Figueroa claimed that Gonzalez Fletcher was harassing her online, and that she was concerned about her safety as a result, according to court filings. Gonzalez Fletcher denied the allegations. The judge also rejected Figueroa\u2019s temporary<\/a> restraining order request last month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Union-Tribune reported<\/a> that San Diego Superior Court Judge Blair Soper denied Figueroa\u2019s request because he couldn\u2019t find evidence of violence or real threats of violence. He said, \u201cThe burden of proof just has not been met,\u201d according to the U-T.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was another attempt by Ms. Figueroa to inflict harm upon me and my family by wielding egregiously false allegations in court filings designed to drive press attention to herself,\u201d Gonzalez Fletcher said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In August, Judge Matthew Braner dismissed Figueroa\u2019s lawsuit<\/a> against Fletcher because of what he described as a \u201cspoliation\u201d of evidence. Figueroa has previously said she plans to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to speak up, because even after the ruling, this now puts her behavior on the record, making it easier for the next person to prove a pattern of harassment,\u201d Figueroa said in a statement on Tuesday.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Other News\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n